Contemporary family is situated at the intersection of public and private spheres. Described as the basic social structure in the past, today it is reviewed in categories of interpersonal and intimate relations. It does not mean that family has vanished from the public sphere; however, it is still exists within it, but mostly as an idealistic construct. In the media, images created within TV series and advertisements, as well as statistical comparisons, family appears as the highest value; marriage and parenthood are models of life, which bring the
most satisfaction. The role of the Catholic Church in such an image cannot be overlooked. Sociological research proves, however, that statistical family idyll is significantly different from the actual experience. The widely created image of a family contrasts with the one created in privacy. The image proposed by art seems to be closer to reality. Theatre creators mainly relate to the model of a traditional family. They see it as a complicated
set of interpersonal relations, which causes family to become a potential source of traumas and conflicts, and marriage turns out to be an oppressive institution, which is used to reproduce false scenarios (Kleczewska). They track the cracks in the patriarchal model, which indicates its slow fade into obscurity, but also examine its functioning in social and political contexts (Jarzyna). Intimate and social relations — in opposition to blood ties — are a relatively new phenomenon in history of family. This perspective is only now emerging in theatre. The productions of Krzysztof Warlikowski are its most representative example — they prove the superiority of this model over the less stable structure, designed by the patriarchal culture.